Applecrest Farm Orchards facts for kids
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| Industry | Orchard and farm |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1913 |
| Founder | Walter Baldwin |
| Headquarters | Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Products | Apples, peaches, corn, and vegetables |
| Owner | Peter Wagner |
Applecrest Farm Orchards, also known as Applecrest, is a famous apple orchard in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. It's open all year long for visitors. Applecrest is special because it's the oldest and largest apple orchard in New Hampshire. It is also the oldest apple orchard in the United States that has been running without ever closing down since it opened in 1913.
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History of the Farm
The story of Applecrest Farm goes back long before it was an orchard. The land has a rich history stretching back hundreds of years.
Early Settlers
In 1665, a man named James Prescott moved from England and was the first to settle on the land where the farm is today. At that time, the area was part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Because of tensions with local Native American tribes, Prescott lived in a strong, fortified house called Prescott's Fort for 30 years. In 1679, the land became part of the new Province of New Hampshire. The farm was passed down through different families for over 200 years. Some of the buildings you can still see at Applecrest today, like the farm market (built in 1812), are from this early period.
Becoming an Orchard
In 1913, everything changed. A man named Walter Baldwin Farmer bought the property. He had a big dream to turn the land into a successful business.
Walter worked hard to prepare the land. He cleared away rocks and studied the best ways to care for trees. This is when he planted the very first apple trees, officially starting Applecrest Farm Orchards.
It takes many years for apple trees to grow big enough to produce fruit. So, while he waited for the thousands of trees he planted to mature, Walter raised chickens in nearly 200 chicken houses to earn money.
The Wagner Family Era
After Walter Farmer passed away, the farm was sold. In 1954, William and Jean Wagner bought the orchard. They didn't know much about growing apples at first, but they were determined to learn and keep the farm going.
Over the years, the cost of running such a large farm grew. To keep the main orchard running, the family had to sell some parts of the land. Today, the farm is smaller than it once was, but it is still a very large and active orchard.
The Wagner family continues to run Applecrest Farm. In 2006, Peter Wagner, the son of William and Jean, became the sole owner and keeps the family tradition alive.
What You Can Find at Applecrest
Applecrest is famous for its amazing variety of fresh food grown right on the farm.
Fruits and Vegetables
The orchard grows about 40,000 bushels of apples each year! There are over 40 different kinds of apples, including popular types like:
- McIntosh
- Cortland
- Macoun
- Ida Red
- Red Delicious
Besides apples, you can also find delicious peaches, sweet corn, and many other fresh vegetables.
The Farm-to-Table Restaurant
To celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013, Applecrest opened a new restaurant right on the farm. It's a "farm-to-table" restaurant, which means that the food served to customers is made with ingredients grown or raised on the farm's own land. This makes the food incredibly fresh and tasty.
